About

Mission and Vision

Board Members

Bates Wilson

Mission and Vision

Photo courtesy of the National Park Service

Mission Statement

Friends of Arches and Canyonlands Parks connect people to place in ways that continue Bates Wilson’s values of exploration, collaboration and stewardship of our Southeast Utah National Parks and Monuments.

Vision

Consistent with Bates Wilson’s legacy, we will inspire individuals and communities with a passionate appreciation for vibrant and healthy national parks.

Values

CONNECT

Connecting Youth to the Parks

We recognize that natural places are vital for children, their children, and continuing generations. The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow and we will provide young people with opportunities to explore and form their own connections to the landscapes and grow as lifelong stewards of national parks.

EXPLORE

Enriching the Visitor Experience

We will work to ensure that park visitors experience a strong personal connection with the land, and that exploration, education, and research opportunities abound.

COLLABORATE

Working in Collaboration with the Community

We respect the needs, values and traditions of local communities and cultures, and we seek to forge relationships between the parks and the communities based on mutual benefit and trust.

Assisting the National Park Service

Our work will reflect and support the National Park Service’s mission of preservation, enjoyment, education and inspiration.

STEWARDSHIP

Supporting Lasting Preservation

Enduring success depends on our extraordinary national park lands being preserved forever. We will support the conservation and preservation of natural and cultural resources for generations to come.

Board Members

Lynn Wilson Fredregill – Chair

Lynn is the daughter of Bates Wilson and grew up on the Professor Valley Ranch outside of Moab, Utah. She and her sister, Anne, cut their teeth on farming at the Ranch and camping in Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, where campfire stories recounted the adventures of exploring “the land in between.” Following her graduation from Colorado State University with a degree in Political Science, she began a career working in the Information Technology (IT) industry. When she has free time, Lynn enjoys going for walks with her dog, Kate, or returning to the red rocks of her childhood with her family for respite and relaxation.

Kevin Geiger – Vice Chair

Kevin Geiger has been the Telluride Town Attorney since 2006. Previously he was the Assistant County Attorney for San Miguel County (Telluride) from 2001 to 2006 and also Assistant County Attorney for Ouray County from 1999 to 2001. Kevin is a 1995 graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder (BA-Political Science, Summa Cum Laude) and received his Juris Doctorate (with a Graduate Interdisciplinary Certificate in Environmental Policy) from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1999. While at CU Law, Kevin also served as a research assistant for Professor Charles F. Wilkinson. Kevin lives in Telluride with his wife, Keri Yoder, the Assistant District Attorney for the 7th Judicial District, and their two daughters.

Tim Smith – Treasurer

Tim started his career as a SCA volunteer at the Maze District of Canyonlands a long time ago. He worked as a seasonal for several national parks, became a park ranger for the state of Utah, managed Coral Pink Sand Dunes and Antelope Island State Parks and became the Southeast Region Manager 16 years ago. Tim lives in Moab with his wife where they particularly enjoy hiking, river running and skiing.

Ann Wilson – Secretary

Anne grew up on a 300-acre ranch east of Moab, UT with her parents, Bates and Robin Wilson. Anne and her husband, Peter Lawson, still live and farm at Professor Valley Ranch with their two lively sons: 14-year old Bates and 12-year-old Theo. Anne's interests include reading, writing, the environment, and education.

Dr. Robert Avery

Emeritus Faculty, University of Utah, Department of Communication, College of Humanities
Dr. Avery currently resides in Salt Lake City.

Franci Gillmore

Audrey Graham

Former National Park Service Ranger and Grand County Council Member, Currently works at the Utah State University Center for Persons with Disabilities Early Intervention program
Audrey Graham currently resides in Moab, Utah.

Kristen Redd

Field Station Manager for the Nature Conservancy's Canyonlands Research Center
Kristen Redd currently resides outside of Canyonlands National Park at the Dugout Ranch in San Juan County, Utah.

Martha Stockham

Bates’ career with the National Park Service began in the early 1930s when he worked as a foreman for a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) construction crew around Santa Fe, New Mexico. After taking the park ranger exam in 1937, Bates accepted an entry-level position at Saguaro National Monument. However, two days before he was to start, the superintendent at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument was pulled into the army and Bates was awarded the job of “acting custodian” (what would now be “acting superintendent”) at Organ Pipe.

After service in the Army in the early 1940s, Bates was appointed Custodian of El Morro National Monument from 1946 through 1949 when he was transferred to Arches and Natural Bridges National Monuments. Ironically, Bates started his career as a Superintendent and never worked as a ranger.

Bates Wilson served as superintendent of Arches and Natural Bridges National Monument from 1949 to 1972. He could most often be found outside. Driving between the two parks – drawn to the vast “land in between” – he dedicated countless hours to exploring and mapping its diverse geology. During that time, he advocated for the creation of a National Park in the area that is now Canyonlands. Bates led government officials on jeep tours featuring lengthy talks over campfires and hearty dutch oven dinners. Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall joined one of these tours in 1961, and began lobbying congress for the proposed park.

These efforts came to fruition on September 12, 1964 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Public Law 88-590 establishing Canyonlands National Park. Bates became the first superintendent which, along with his role as chief advocate for the park’s creation, earned him the title “Father of Canyonlands.”

Bates retired from the National Park Service in 1972 but remained close to Canyonlands. He maintained a ranch in Professor Valley, just 20 miles north of Moab, and served as chairman of Canyonlands Natural History Association until his death in 1983.